The Impact of the Circular Economy on waste management in the food industry: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review analyses how circular economy (CE) based waste management influences the recovery and utilisation of food waste in the food industry. PIOC and PRISMA methodologies were applied to select 44 relevant studies from a total of 816 records in SCOPUS. The findings highlight the key role of the circular economy in optimising resources, minimising waste and creating added value through technologies such as anaerobic digestion, biorefinery, and microwave and ultrasound assisted extraction; despite challenges such as high upfront costs and lack of infrastructure, the circular economy offers significant environmental and economic benefits; and its implementation is aligned with SDGs 2, 6, 12, 13 and 15. Finally, research gaps are identified in the optimisation of large-scale technologies, the assessment of environmental impacts and the development of circular business models.